We don't foresee buying any more music between now and next Wednesday (though that damn iTunes makes it REALLY easy to do so) so we're going to jot down some things about recorded (as opposed to the live/concert post we put up recently) music from 2019. Hopefully by the end of this you don't hate the terms singer-songwriter or power pop as that is where much of our musical tastes lie.
We picked up two multiple-CD (yes, while we do dabble in the electronically transmitted music finally, we do still help keep the CD market alive) sets and loved them both. Prince 1999 Deluxe which comes with 5 CDs and a DVD includes the original album, as well as the B-Sides, two CDs worth of previously unreleased studio efforts from that time period, an after show concert from Detroit from the 1999 tour and then a DVD of a similar after hours show from that time period recorded in Houston. Some of the materials on the non-first two CDs has been available over the years in bootleg form but is much cleaner here and nicely packaged together and not jumbled with other studio and live materials. The other was Dead Man's Pop by The Replacements--the going back and remastering their Don't Tell a Soul, allowing the original producer (well, second producer--more on that shortly), Matt Wallace, to do the final mix, in a manner that most believe the band originally intended the album to sound like, as opposed to the original studio version that was sent to a master engineer "hitmaker" who put a very 90's pop-gloss on the sound that a) alienated many of the band's fans (not all) and b) did not excite the masses that had previously been ignoring the band (though it did sell better than their previous albums). There are three other CD's in the box--one has some of the songs from an earlier attempt to record them with the original producer and a drinking session between the band and Tom Waits with the recorder going that is all right to listen to once out of curiosity but I don't see hitting that half of that particular CD again. The other two are a full concert from that tour that four or five songs have been around forever as they used them as a radio station incentive tool. If you loved Don't Tell a Soul the way it was originally released and don't care about the Wallace version, this set might still be worth buying just for the concert--it's one where the band doesn't seem to have hit the bottle as early as usual and they blow through a ton of their songs all wound up faster and louder than on record, but the melodies stick and if you were a fan, this show is representative of the old tag that they were the greatest band in the land at the time.
When it comes to local music--there was a fair amount we picked up this year but we'll concentrate on that which was released in 2019:
7. Michelle Held - a 3 song ep that we don't remember having a title. Michelle has a great voice and writes really wonderful songs and this trio were recorded very well.
6. Tom Iscariot - If the Morning Comes - a 4 song ep. We've been fans of Tom since the very late 80's when he fronted Weeping Rachel, and then later as part of the original duo known as Breech, and then fronting American Mars, and now it continues as he stands alone with his guitar and his words. He's always written great songs--excellent guitar and wordplay from what we'd call his rock-i-er days on through the Americana of American Mars--and that hasn't changed at all.
5. Carmel Liburdi - Yes! We're Open - this full album was released a month or so ago to a packed house at Trumbleplex and is a step up in songwriting for Liburdi. While we love the humor and wordplay of her earlier efforts, there's maybe a bit more sincerity or deeper looks at the topics she brings forth on her latest. She's also added a band to bulk up the sound a bit and it works well. This one has spun at least once per week since we picked it up.
4. Audra Kubat - The Sliver and the Salve - this full album joins a few others from Kubat on our shelf as she's somebody we've been listening to for the better part of the last decade if not a little longer. Kubat's passion for her community shines through song after song and this effort sees maybe a wider usage of instruments (on up to the flute) than previous albums of her as there's a mix of both acoustic and more of a group band dynamic to the songs. This one also came out toward the end of the year and has been steadily listened to by us.
3. Blueflowers - Relapse - an ep that came out just a while ago is something we listen to very regularly. The band is seemingly pushing from what used to be a sound that we'd describe as a something to maybe expect in a David Lynch film to having more edge, more grit. And as well as the band plays, it's the voice of Kate Hinote that grabs me every time I hear one of their songs.
2. This Life. We Lead - Drink Responsibly - a full album that we first learned about via the Metro Times back in May (we were a bit behind in our reading). We checked the music out online, and then bought the CD and if two weeks has gone by without a spin we'd be shocked. We caught them live once toward the end of summer and they were great in that setting as well. The only rap album anywhere near this post.
1. Mike Galbraith - Here Elsewhere - a five song ep, this collection of songs is his second and while we've gone back and picked up Finster (his debut) and enjoy it, these songs are a big step up in our opinion. Galbraith to us is like a rocker holding himself back a bit and doing the singer-songwriter thing but, allowing other musicians to support him, not holding his songs back--they still crank with power, both raw and emotional. This one spins at least twice a week and has since purchased earlier this year.
Non-Local - we picked up quite a few things this year, some of it catching up due to lack of keeping current with music the last too long to remember, but a fair amount were 2019 and of the full length lps that we acquired:
10. Palehound - Black Friday - One of the very few bands on this specific list that we'd listened to prior to 2019, this was a pre-order. The band added keys to their sound and quieted down a bit with the songs getting a bit more focused. An excellent follow up to their earlier works.
9. The Beths - Future Me Hates Me - A CD purchased mainly because they were coming to Detroit to play and the couple of songs we listened to were catchy. Turned out to be a great purchase as this quartet from New Zealand's second effort is catchy, power-pop-ish and their concert was great.
8. Amy LaVere - Painting Blue - Received this CD due to support of a crowdrise or some such fund raiser. Had a few of her CDs and had sort of forgotten about her work and jumped on board with the fund raising thing and began to listen to her again. She plays stand-up bass and her partner (husband? not positive) Will Sexton plays guitar and their songs fit perfectly into Memphis. We don't remember if she ever worked with Jim Dickinson, we believe so maybe just before he passed away--but her music is built for a producer like him. This is a stellar effort that we've listened to dozens of times this past year.
7. The Regrettes - How Do You Love? - We'd been listening to their earlier effort nearly non-stop for a while when this one was announced so it was pre-ordered and while we didn't get into it as much as the earlier work, we greatly appreciate the effort---this is a concept CD working from those initial sparks of a possible romance through falling in, and then out, of love--the failed relationship in full. And in that respect, it's probably a more polished effort than the earlier work--words maybe thought over and worked over at a deeper level--which doesn't say much for us--we prefer the sonics of the earlier work (not that this is a quiet effort), but still enjoyed this greatly.
6. Marika Hackman - Any Human Friend - One that we picked up because we had purchased a ticket to go see her opening act in Ann Arbor and figured we'd most likely be sticking around, so we should probably get at least familiar with her work. Turns out we loved it. Reminded us a bit of the Natalie Pratt album from last year that surprised the hell out of us with its sound and variance between songs. This might have as many songs that we simply put on repeat for 3-5 listens at a time as any we purchased this year.
5. Big Thief - Two Hands - Another band we found out about because of an opening band (Palehound this time). The second of two really excellent 2019 albums by this quartet, it was the louder of the two if we had to designate why this one over U.F.O.F. from earlier in the year. Big Thief feels like the kind of band that just keeps getting bigger every album until they're done--many places have both of their 2019 efforts on their best of lists for the year and it's not surprising.
4. Ezra Furman - Twelve Nudes - We've since gone back and listened to Furman's previous efforts and hear the swinging saxophone and keyboards and while some of those songs are protesting about something, they didn't lead one to be ready for this album. It's an in your face, brash/loud protest album about the state of things in this country. It gets to the point and that point is hammered home. It's not that there's no melody--there definitely is--it's just that it might take a few seconds to find it in each song. But these songs were much appreciated by us this past year, and seemed very necessary.
3. Charly Bliss - Young Enough - This one probably fits our definition of power pop better than any other we listened to this year. Hendrick's vocals are higher than most, but seem reigned in a touch after the debut album, and the band digs deep with its songs and lyrics, not just bringing up subjects and doing fly-bys as they might have in the past. And they are energy personified on this excellent CD. Their debut was really really good, but this is a solid two or three steps up.
2. Emily Wolfe - Emily Wolfe - Wolfe plays the hell out of her guitar on this debut full-length effort (after a solid ep). From Austin, the songs lean a bit bluesy but are rock-n-roll for certain. It's a great record for driving, though one that we need to remind ourselves to be careful while listening as that gas pedal slowly lowers itself maybe a bit too much. She's also fantastic in concert and simply one we look forward to hearing more from often in the future.
1. Stef Chura - Midnight - A local/national artist whose name we'd seen many times but sadly during those "not really keeping up on music" years and so we'd never really heard her. Another concert related purchase we've listened to this nearly every day since picking it up in August. It's loud, the vocals are unique (something we've always been fans of), the song structures vary widely. The band she's got behind her are tight and it was simply our favorite 2019 full-length album we heard.
National EPs
We picked up a quarter of EPs that we listen to as much as anything else listed above:
4. Alvidrez - Palace - One of the members of Girl Friday released this five song effort in August and we both love it and are baffled by it. Songs, spoken word, and more--it's like a few different artists recorded songs, but listening closely it's clear that there's a singular thought process behind the work. We look forward to more work from her and hope it's soon.
3. Heaven Honey - Head Case - Okay this one came out in late 2018 but we didn't hear of it, or them until a local show in the spring of 2019 so we're dragging it forward. This female fronted band reminded us of Alyeska a bit based on the at times haunting vocals. Have been listening to this one extremely regularly.
2. Taylor Janzen - Shouting Matches - She opened for Lucy Dacus at the El Club and we were blown away. We quickly purchased her previous EP and this one which was fairly new and have listened to each damn near daily since. She's coming back in January and we've got our ticket and can't wait. Singer-songwriter fits her style, but the newer work is leaning toward more levels, more instruments and she's writing songs with that in mind.
1. Girl Friday - Fashion Conman - It was a mighty close call but Girl Friday squeaks it out by the thinnest of margins over Janzen for our favorite artist of 2019. Girl Friday was part of our favorite concert, as well as our third favorite concert and this CD is the one we played more than any in 2019. Their debut recorded a couple of years earlier was probably third in spins for the year behind only this and the Janzen. They are loud, they're strong-minded, they share in the singing duties and their song structures are different every time--different from other bands and different from song to song. It's simply a great listen and better yet, they were just in the studio recording a full-length effort!
A few pre-2019 titles that we picked up this year and have listened to a TON:
Emily Rose - Wake Up Brave; The Regrettes - Feel Your Feelings Fool!; Girl Friday - Tiny Hats; Lucy Dacus - Historian; Taylor Janzen - Interpersonal; Carmel Liburdi - Insomnia Slumber Party; and Scott Fab - Leave My Friends
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